By significant, it meant a 24.4 percent increase in
homicides and a 31.6 percent jump in gun-related
killings from 2005 through 2014.

Opponents have attacked the study as flawed.

Here is what’s really flawed.

Since this is Florida, a woman named Marissa
Alexander, who obviously should have had the legal
shield of “stand your ground” was initially
sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2011 for firing a
gun at her then-husband during a domestic dispute.
It was not the first time the couple quarreled, and her
attorney argued she had been the victim of abuse.

But even though Alexander fired what essentially was
a warning shot and she didn’t hit him, a judge ruled
that she didn’t meet the burden of proof that her life
was in danger. Her original sentence was over-turned on
appeal and she has since been freed, but not until she
spent nearly six years in custody.

Obviously, she never should have been sent to prison.
She has a legitimate reason to lobby, as she has, for a
change currently sailing through the Legislature. It
essentially would reverse a state Supreme Court ruling
that shooters have to prove they were in grave danger.
Prosecutors would now have to prove a shooter didn’t
feel threatened instead of the other way around.

Had that change been in place six years ago,
Alexander likely would never have spent a day behind
bars.

Beware of unintended consequences though.

Assuming this seismic shift in SYG becomes the law
and survives court challenges, it opens the floodgates
for others to shoot first and claim fear later. Shooters
wouldn’t have to prove their life was in danger. They
would just have say they thought it was.

What possibly could go wrong?

A judge in the highly publicized case of SYG recently
ruled that retired police officer Curtis Reeves couldn’t
prove lethal force was necessary when he shot and
killed Chad Oulson during an argument at a movie
theater.

Under this change, the judge probably would have had
no choice but to side with Reeves. How would a
prosecutor even try to prove that someone wasn’t afraid
for their life?

She added, “Why not go all the way … there won’t be
anyone around to dispute” that the shooter wasn’t
standing their ground.

Instead of tweaking the law to cover situations like
the one Alexander faced, lawmakers appear determined to
seize the chance to expand gun use in Florida.

Surprised?

Didn’t think so.

---------------

Joe Henderson had a 45-year career in
newspapers, including the last nearly 42 years at The
Tampa Tribune. Mr. Henderson has numerous local, state and
national writing awards. He has been married to his
wife, Elaine, for nearly 35 years, and has two grown
sons.
Column courtesy of Florida Politics.

This piece was reprinted by the Columbia County Observer
with permission or license.